


Welcome Home

by FleetSparrow



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Stalking is how Bats say I love you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 21:18:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17732846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Cass knows how alone Jason can be, but she's determined to bring him back into the family fold.  And she knows the best way to do it.





	Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arsenic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/gifts).



Apparently all Cass needed was an opening.

Jason would come home after patrol in the early hours of the morning to find food waiting for him on his kitchen table. The first time, he threw it out without touching it. After all, it was probably poisoned.

The next time it happened, it came with a note in a very childish hand, “Eat. Cass.” He ate that one and kept the note as a daily reminder.

He had to change safe houses several times over the next few months, but like a good Bat, Cass seemed to always find him.

Then she started showing up on patrol. She didn’t come near him at first. He would spot her out a few buildings away, or down in the street a block or so away. But she was always there. Just in case. Just so he knew she was around if he wanted to talk.

Not that Jason knew what to say if she had come closer. “Thanks for making sure I don’t starve to death?” “Thanks for Bat-checking on me?” “Thanks for reminding me stalking is how we say ‘I love you’ in this family?”

None of those seemed right, even though they were all true.

One night, she showed up in his house.

Jason had gotten in a fight with someone bigger than him (no mean feat, considering), and got a little beat up for his troubles. He came tromping back into his safe house, bloody and bruised and not feeling very hospitable at all. Cass was sitting on his sofa right where he wanted to crash.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” he said.

“You’re hurt,” she said.

“It’s only a flesh wound.” Cass tilted her head in confusion. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me Dickiebird hasn’t made you sit through all the Python movies yet.”

Cass shook her head.

“Well I’m shook,” he said. He plopped down beside her, careful not to get any blood on his couch. “What do you want?”

“You still have a room at the manor.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Oh god, Bruce sent you, didn’t he?”

“No. I sent myself.”

“I’m not going back.”

“He misses you.”

“Sure he does. He misses his Robin, not me.”

“I’ve read some of your books.”

Jason blinked at the sudden change in subject. Maybe his head was more muddled than he thought. “So?”

“Alfred dusts them every day.”

“Like I’m coming home.”

Cass nodded.

“Tell Bruce I’ll come home when he stops considering me his failure.”

Cass frowned.

“He’s not very good with words,” she said. “I don’t think he means what you think he means.”

“I didn’t expect him to really go full Inigo Montoya, just….” He sighed. Something clicked and he looked sideways at Cass. “Did you just quote at me?”

She shrugged. “Dick’s shown me things.”

He laughed. “That he definitely would.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Jason carefully removing the more bloodied bits of his armor.

“Will you be there?” he asked. “If I go back?”

Cass nodded.

Jason nodded. “OK. I’ll think about it. So you can go now.”

Cass smiled and kissed his head. “I’ll be there. Tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t rush me.”

The next dawn, Jason rode into the Cave on his bike. Cass was there waiting for him on the parking platform. She took his hand and led him into the Cave.

Dick spotted them first. He was hanging on the Batcomputer chair while Bruce filled in a report. Dick straightened and tapped Bruce’s shoulder.

Bruce rose and stepped away from the console. Jason took a step forward, coaxed on by Cass.

“Jason,” Bruce said.

“Bruce.”

Cass and Dick exchanged a look of mild frustration.

Bruce took a few steps closer. “Jason. Are you staying?”

“Maybe.”

“Please.” Bruce held out a hand.

Jason blinked, tears springing up in his eyes. He felt Cass push him and he stumbled forward. He clasped Bruce’s hand. Bruce pulled him into a hug.

“Welcome home, son,” Bruce said.

Jason sighed and leaned into the hug, letting Bruce hold him like he was a little Robin again.

“I’ve got your room set up,” Bruce said.

“That’s kinda creepy.”

Bruce smiled. “Only if you’re not in it.”

Jason wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Yeah, I mean. I’ll stay today. We’ll see about tomorrow.”

“That’s all I’ll ask for,” Bruce said.

“Besides, you’ve got to stay for Alfred’s breakfast,” Dick said.

Jason grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

He let Bruce go back to his report and headed for the changing rooms. Cass followed him.

“Thanks,” he said, when they were alone.

She smiled. “That’s what family’s for.”


End file.
